SLP New Student Information

Message from Program Director

On behalf of the faculty & staff of the Division of Speech-Language Pathology, I would like to personally welcome you as a new student to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). We are so excited to guide you in this educational endeavor as you acquire the knowledge and skills you will use as speech-language pathologists.

Please note acceptance is conditional until all prerequisites and observation hours (25) for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) educational program have been satisfied.

We realize that the beginning of the graduate school journey can be overwhelming. We aim to provide you with all the information you need to prepare. This website contains a series of links with information essential for your transition to our program. Please review all of the content.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Lauren Dickerson, our amazing Student Services Coordinator, at meltonl@musc.edu.

We look forward to seeing you in August!

Christina Yeager Pelatti, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Division Director & Associate Professor

College of Health Professions, Division of Speech-Language Pathology

New Student Information

Incoming students with conditional admission offers are required to meet the condition(s) of their offer and communicate the status of their progress to the program prior to new student orientation.

New Student Orientation

August 15-16, 2024 @ the MUSC College of Health Professions, Building A. Plan to arrive each morning around 8:00 am and participate in orientation activities until 4:00 pm. All incoming students need to reference the general CHP New Student Guide. The program-specific resources below should be reviewed prior to orientation. Updated versions of the handbooks will be published before orientation, but we will review any significant additions or changes at that time.

• 24FA Orientation Schedule
• MUSC SLP Student Handbook
• SLP Academic Calendar 2024-2025 (PDF)
• Essential Functions/Technical Standards for Program Admission, Continuance and Graduation (PDF)

Transcripts

Incoming students who have completed their undergraduate degree after submitting their MUSC application must submit final transcripts directly to MUSC prior to the start of the fall semester.

Electronic Transcripts

• Directly from your institution to oesadmis@musc.edu, or
• From your institution's secure delivery partner (such as Parchment).

Paper Transcripts

• Official transcripts can be mailed directly to the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management using the address below.
• MUSC, Enrollment Management | 45 Courtenay Drive, MSC 203 | Charleston, SC 29425-2030

Observation Hours

Incoming students who have not already done so during the application process are required to submit documentation of 25 SLP observation hours before beginning classes. Applicants who do not have an already established record of observation hours are welcome to download and use the MUSC Observation Log (PDF).

Financial Aid Services

Students interested in receiving financial aid should complete the FAFSA through the “myStudentAid” mobile app or at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Additional information and directions regarding online student financial aid counseling are available through MUSC Student Financial Aid Services.

Immunization Requirements

• All MUSC students are required to submit documentation of immunity/immunization to vaccine-preventable conditions prior to beginning semester coursework on campus. Maintaining these high standards protects the safety of the students, staff, and patients. These are especially important for incoming SLP students as you will be in MUSC clinics during the first semester.

• SLP student participation in MUHA clinical rotations scheduled for the upcoming academic year is subject to your compliance with the MUHA vaccination and booster requirement. MUSC Health Authority (MUHA) requires all care team members and students on clinical rotations to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (including up-to-date boosters) or have a current declination on file. Students that qualify for medical or religious exemptions will not be expected to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Students that receive an exemption may be subject to routine screening and/or other provisions such as always wearing a mask in clinical areas. Currently, masks are required to be worn by all in the hospitals and clinics per MUHA. Some clinical placements may not accept a declination and the SLP Director of Clinical Education will attempt to find an alternative clinical placement. If an alternative placement cannot be found the student’s plan of study may be affected.

• In June, your MUSC student account will be activated and you will receive information about activating your MUSC NetID. This will be needed to access LifeNet which is where you will access your Student Health Medical and Immunization Record. Immunization dates with supporting documents will be entered here prior to orientation. More information about what is required can be found through Student Health. Giving this attention now will allow you ample time to address anything you may be lacking.

Hepatitis B Immunity

Compliance with the Hepatitis B immunity requirement is the most time-consuming to overcome. Take the time now to verify your status, so you can begin the process of gaining Hep B immunity if needed. You must complete a Hep B titer to show immunity, regardless of vaccine history. A negative titer will require that you go through a booster or vaccine series and repeat the titer until positive results occur. This process can take several weeks to several months, affecting your ability to begin a clinical rotation.

The American Heart Association, Basic Life Support Certification

A copy of your AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers certification (two-year certification) is required for approval to participate in clinical rotations. If you do not already have this certification, sign up for a training course soon. This must be complete prior to the fall semester and only the American Heart Association training will be accepted.

MUSC NetID

By mid-June, new SLP students will begin receiving information about the activation of their MUSC student account. Begin the activation process as soon as you are able after receiving this information.  Once your account is activated your NetID & password will allow you to access the variety of systems that will be needed throughout the orientation/ matriculation process.  We encourage you to begin by accessing the CHP New Student Orientation course we have created as a guide for incoming students. We'll provide a link to the course in June.